It's taken a little while, but this summer we're finally at the point where we'll begin introducing our members to one another in the hope that they can become 'Lewy Buddies' and provide each other with support.
Our 'Lewy buddies' model of peer support is one of the key ways we aim to help people affected by Lewy body disorder and their families. It's also one of the things that stood out in our 2022 Facebook survey as something people wanted. 68% said in-person support groups or meetings would be helpful, and 62% told us online meetings would be beneficial. To understand a bit more about why we're doing this, look no further than Esther Boyd's 'What worked for me: Finding a buddy' for a first-hand account of the difference it can make to have someone nearby who understands what you are going through. We've currently over 100 members, with more joining all the time. If you're interested in finding out if anyone with experience of Lewy body disorder lives close to you, simply sign up here and provide your postcode to be added to our database. Everyone who has provided their postcode and email will first be contacted by us to let them know if there are people within a reasonable distance of them, and to check they are happy for us to make an introduction. Some of you may be happy to meet, while others may prefer a phone or video call. We'll take all of this into account and do our best to connect you with 'buddies' in similar situations. We kindly ask that you please bear with us. There's only two of us working on a volunteer basis, but we'll do our best to start putting you in touch with one another as soon as we can. |
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